Butterfly Garden

The butterfly garden is wonderful fun for kids and adults alike. When
you design your own butterfly garden you will want to provide for all
stages of the butterfly life cycle; eggs, caterpillars and adults.
Butterfly caterpillars eat different plants than butterfly adults.
Butterfly adults generally eat nectar. And caterpillars eat
leaves. You will also want some still water for butterflies to
drink. A birdbath can often give a butterfly a necessary
drink. Swallowtails will often congregate around wet gravel.

The passion
vines (passiflora species) are famous for providing the Gulf
Fritillary caterpillars plenty of food. And the Monarch
Butterfly has a special relationship with milkweed. The list of
nectar plants for butterfly adults to feed upon is lengthy and often very
specific to the kind of butterfly that will come to feed.

A courtyard or enclosed space can provide a still
environment so the wind does not wreck havoc with the movement of the
butterflies. A south facing wall will warm the air and allow for an
extended day of flight for your butterflies.

It is fascinating to watch a butterfly flit through a
garden. It seems like they have no preferred destination at
all. But they will almost always alight on the same kinds of plants.

Easy gardening nectar plants include Eriogonum species,
Salvia species, Ceanothus species, and Lupine Species. The list of
plants that butterflies will visit is not even close to being
complete. Butterflies will visit many other plants. The ones
on the list are particularly noted for attracting the following
butterflies.